As we step deeper into this season of Lent, we find ourselves reflecting on what it means to “give up.” Our ideas of Lent often come with a focus on sacrifice, on letting go.
But what if, instead, giving up became a pathway to abundance rather than deprivation? What if, in surrendering outward things, we learned to uncover treasures already planted deep within us by God?
Philippians 3:17-4:1 is a powerful reminder that our faith is not about rigid rules, nor is it confined by the rewards or distractions of the world. No, the faith that Paul invites us into is spiritual, alive, vibrant, and overflowing with possibility. It calls us to center our lives in the love of God and others. It teaches us that the gift of the Spirit — which resides within each of us — is activated by faith and expressed most fully in love.
And friends, is there anything more radical or more inclusive than love?
Citizens of heaven, right here on Earth
Paul writes that our “citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20), but what does that really mean?
To understand this, we need to remember that Paul was speaking metaphorically and spiritually. “Citizenship in heaven” wasn’t about waiting for the afterlife; it was about how they, and we, live right now, right here.
Paul is reminding us of our spiritual identity. We are citizens of something far greater than any earthly constructs, bound not by nationalities, cultural prejudices, or social systems, but by the life-giving love of God.
This doesn’t separate us from the world at all. It unites us more deeply to it by re-centering our focus. Our loyalty is rooted in compassion, in justice, in treating each other as reflections of divine love.
It means we don’t get bogged down in the brokenness of the world. It means that when systems stagnate, when violence rises, or when fear tries to rule, we, as spiritual citizens, live differently. Not dismissively but grounded in a higher reality. We are called to live lives illuminated by hope, by resilience, and, yes, by sacrifice.
Giving it up to get it all
This brings us back to this season of Lent and this idea of “giving up.” How are you engaging with the practice of letting go this season?
Maybe you’re giving up small comforts like chocolate or caffeine, or maybe you’re challenging yourself with fasting from screen time, social media, or something else pulling at your attention. These acts are beautiful and valuable.
But here’s the heart of it, friends: Lent is an invitation to so much more than deprivation. It’s a call to release what doesn’t serve you, in order to make room for what God is ready to bring alive in you.
When Paul writes about pressing forward (Philippians 3:14) and standing firm (Philippians 4:1), he’s inviting us to practice this kind of holy perseverance. He’s showing us how to define our lives not by what we lose, but by what we gain when we walk in alignment with the Spirit.
What if we dared to give up fear?
What if we gave up our grudges?
What if we gave up the endless chase for approval, for perfection, for success at the expense of our well-being?
What might we “get” in their place?
Could we gain deeper peace? Greater joy? A sense of purpose that transcends the chaos of life? I believe we could, because Christ already gave up everything to ensure that we might receive all of these things and more.
Walking each day in love
Friends, here’s the beauty of the Gospel that Paul teaches us and that Christ lived out so perfectly. This gift of spiritual life, of love, of grace, is not something we earn, hoard, or distribute sparingly. It’s already living within each of us, waiting to be activated by faith.
And when it takes root, it doesn’t just transform us personally. It overflows into every space, every relationship, every corner of the world we inhabit.
Think about what happens when we embody this kind of love day by day. When we live as citizens of heaven here on earth, we bring healing to a broken world. We show what it looks like to respond to hatred with compassion, to oppose injustice with courage, and to build community in a world obsessed with division.
Each small act of love, each faithful step, is evidence that the Spirit is alive within us. Through faith, we become participants in God’s redemptive work. Through faith, we express gratitude by how we show up for each other.
A call to “stand firm”
Paul concludes this section of his letter to the Philippian church with an exhortation to “stand firm in the Lord.” (Philippians 4:1) Standing firm isn’t about rigidity or resistance, but about choosing love, over and over, no matter how hard it may feel. It is saying “yes” to grace, “yes” to courage, and “yes” to surrendering to the Spirit’s work within us and through us.
Lent is here. You don’t have to give up chocolate, Netflix, or your morning coffee unless you want to. But I invite you to think about what you might truly “give up.”
What’s holding you back from living fully in the spiritual life God has already placed within you? What might you release to make space for something beautiful in its place?
May the next few weeks be about of joyful surrender, of bold steps forward, and of standing firm in love. And may we, together, continue to be reflections of God’s grace in this world.
Amen.
Editor-in-Chief of Whosoever and Founding and Senior Pastor of Gentle Spirit Christian Church of Atlanta, Rev. Paul M. Turner (he/him) grew up in suburban Chicago and was ordained by the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches in 1989. He and his husband Bill have lived in metro Atlanta since 1994, have been in a committed partnership since the early 1980s and have been legally married since 2015.